Thursday, December 21, 2006
Mosquito Magnet
How Does the Mosquito Magnet Work?
Female mosquitoes and other biting insects bite humans in order to get blood to lay their eggs. They are attracted to humans by the carbon dioxide (CO2) we exhale. The Mosquito Magnet mimics a human by catalytically converting propane to CO2, heat and moisture. As the mosquitoes are drawn to the trap thinking it's a human, they get vacuumed into the trap where they dehydrate and die within about 24 hours.
The Mosquito Magnet doesn't use lights or sticky tape to catch mosquitoes, just science. Because it only attracts bloodseeking insects such as mosquitoes and noseeums, beneficial insects such as butterflies, bees, and moths are not affected.
When properly placed in your yard, the trap begins catching mosquitoes and other biting insects immediately. Noticeable results are achieved in 7 to 10 days. To greatly reduce your biting insect population, allow 4-6 weeks of continuous use.
How to place your mosquito magnet
Proper placement of your Mosquito Magnet is crucial to its success. If placed correctly the mosquitoes will be drawn to the Mosquito Magnet instead of you. You should begin noticing results in 7-10 days. After 4-6 weeks of continuous use, the female mosquitoes that live in and around your yard will be captured, thereby reducing the mosquito population. After this happens you will begin to see a reduction in your mosquito catch.
For best results, use the following guidelines for proper placement:
1. Determine where the mosquitoes are breeding.
The Mosquito Magnet must be located between the breeding areas (standing water, bushes) and the 'people areas' (patio, deck) in order to capture the mosquitoes at their source, BEFORE they get to you.
2. Place the trap 30-40 feet away from people areas.
Place the trap as close to the breeding area and as far away from the activity as possible. 30-40 feet is enough distance from the activity so the biting insects will be attracted to the trap and not to you.
3. Place the trap upwind from the mosquito breeding area.
Mosquitoes fly upwind looking for a blood meal (you). After a female mosquito bites a human, its weight is doubled; the mosquito will float back downwind to the resting area.
4. Place trap in an open area, not in high grass or plants.
CO2 is heavier than air, therefore it stays close to the ground. The mosquitoes will follow the CO2 plume to the trap. If its placed in high grass the flow of the plume will be impeded and the mosquitoes won't find it...they'll find you!
5. Place the trap in the shade.
Mosquitoes don't like the heat of the direct sun. As the sun sets, mosquitoes come out of their resting places.
Although we realize that not everyone's yard is the same, and it may be impossible for some people to meet all of the above guidelines, we recommend that you try and meet as many as possible.
Monday, December 11, 2006
Interesting facts about mosquitoes
Mosquito Facts
• The mosquito's visual picture is an infrared view produced by its prey's body temperature.
• The average life span of the female mosquito is 3 to 100 days; the male's is 10 to 20 days.
• Mosquito adults feed on flower nectar and juices of fruits for flight energy.
• The female requires a blood meal for egg development
• Depending on species, female mosquitoes may lay 100 to 300 eggs at a time and may average 1,000 to 3,000 during their lifespan.
• The mosquito matures from egg to adult in 4 to 7 days.
• Most mosquitoes remain within 1 mile of their breeding site. A few species may range up to 20 miles or more.
• Several mosquito species are known carriers of significant diseases of man and domestic animals.
• There are 140 different kinds in the world.
• Female Mosquitoes are attracted to carbon-dioxide and will pierce the skin of people and other warm-blooded animals to suck blood, causing a painful swelling.
• The larvae feed on algae and organic matter. They are full grown in 2 - 14 days.
• The pupae still swim about actively, but do not feed as pupae. Eyes, legs and wings can be seen developing.
• Adults emerge after 1 - 14 days.
• The mosquito's visual picture is an infrared view produced by its prey's body temperature.
• The average life span of the female mosquito is 3 to 100 days; the male's is 10 to 20 days.
• Mosquito adults feed on flower nectar and juices of fruits for flight energy.
• The female requires a blood meal for egg development
• Depending on species, female mosquitoes may lay 100 to 300 eggs at a time and may average 1,000 to 3,000 during their lifespan.
• The mosquito matures from egg to adult in 4 to 7 days.
• Most mosquitoes remain within 1 mile of their breeding site. A few species may range up to 20 miles or more.
• Several mosquito species are known carriers of significant diseases of man and domestic animals.
• There are 140 different kinds in the world.
• Female Mosquitoes are attracted to carbon-dioxide and will pierce the skin of people and other warm-blooded animals to suck blood, causing a painful swelling.
• The larvae feed on algae and organic matter. They are full grown in 2 - 14 days.
• The pupae still swim about actively, but do not feed as pupae. Eyes, legs and wings can be seen developing.
• Adults emerge after 1 - 14 days.
Friday, December 8, 2006
Mosquito-transmitted deseases
Whether you enjoy backyard barbecues or backpacking, cycling or just sitting by the pool, summer means it's time to get outside. But nothing spoils the fun faster than one very tiny creature: the mosquito. Not only are mosquitoes a nuisance, leaving people peppered with itchy red welts and driving them indoors, but they can also carry diseases that pose a threat to your family's health.Because mosquitoes tap into the blood of birds, animals and humans, they can be ghoulishly efficient at transmitting certain diseases. Fortunately, fewer than 100 of the world's 2,700 mosquito species carry disease, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. While some mosquito-borne diseases can be deadly to humans, many cause only minor, passing symptoms in most people.
Here are some of the best-known mosquito-transmitted diseases:
-Arboviral Encephalitides
-West Nile Virus
-Malaria
-Dengue Fever
-Yellow Fever
Protect yourself from the mosquitoes!
Let's assume you don't want to get sick from mosquitoes. You don't want to give blood to them either. And you don't even want to land on you!
Time of day
Mosquitoes tend to be out at dawn and dusk, and you may be able to avoid getting bitten by staying inside when they're outside. They don't like to be out in mid-day since they could suffer a disastrous drying out.
The heavy-duty approach
You can try netting and dressing yourself fully.
Timing
Try to go out before or after the peak mosquito season.
Wind
A good breeze will keep mosquitoes down.
Repellents
DEET has been the standard of the industry, and it is recommended to put no more than 30 percent DEET applied according to label directions. And Children should use lower concentrations no greater than 10%. Don't drink DEET and be especially careful with young children. There are several precautions to be taken with DEET. Use a natural repellent like BITE BLOCKER if you are concerned about the negative effects of DEET. Recent studies regarding BITE BLOCKER show it works as well as low concentrations of DEET and without toxic side effects that DEET or other natural repellents may cause.
Repellents (the fashion statement)
For travel to heavily infested areas, one option is to soak your clothing in permethrin, an insecticide made for the purpose. One treatment will last for several washings. "It's a good combination," says Barnard. "We can get hours of complete protection from that." Be careful about combination of DEET and Permethrin as well as other chemicals. Duke Medical Institute in Durham, NC has just released a study confirming the negative effects of combinations with DEET.
Bug zappers
They kill a lot of insects, if you can stand the loud crack and smell of burning insects. But critics say zappers fry more beneficial insects than harmful ones and they may attract more insects than they kill.
The ecological method
Put up a bat-house or a house for purple martins. Bats supposedly gobble hundreds of mosquitoes each hour, and they're not only non-toxic, but they're fun to watch.
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